For many people, there is no better time for a celebration than Jan. 23 -- National Pie Day.

Is your favorite apple, the most popular selection (36 million Americans) according to the American Pie Council, which initiated the celebration? Or pumpkin, which came in second nationwide, or pecan, which ranked third? Is it served with ice cream, whipped cream or just plain?

Tim Dinger, bakery manager at Shady Maple Market in East Earl, said that his favorite is pumpkin cream cheese pie.

That is one of 65 different varieties of pies that the bakery makes each day. To supply the store, the smorgasbord next door and all 60 of their vendors, the store makes thousands of pies a day.

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“Shoofly is by far the best seller,” said Dinger.

The bakery normally makes about 7,000 a week, but during Thanksgiving week, the bakers made 13,000. “That’s extreme,” he said.

All the pies are made by hand and all but two of the fillings are made from scratch.

Not all pies are made with fruit. The early pies were predominately meat pies, according to the American Pie Council. Pyes (pies) originally appeared in England as early as the twelfth century. The crust of the pie was referred to as “coffyn”. There was actually more crust than filling. Often these pies were made using fowl and the legs were left to hang over the side of the dish and used as handles.

Fruit pies or tarts (pasties) were probably first made in the 1500s, according to the council. English tradition credits making the first cherry pie to Queen Elizabeth I.

Terry Nussbauner of West Chester, who oversees bakery product development at Shady Maple, offers these tips to make a perfect pie.

“The secret to a good pie crust is not too much water in the dough. The less water, the flakier the crust,” he said. Also, “Use fresh or frozen fruit, Mix it with a little cinnamon and sugar and butter for the best filling.”

Some perfect pie tips from the American Pie Council:

Cold ingredients are essential to making a great pie crust It even helps to have cold bowls and utensils. In addition, be sure to chill the dough for at least an hour before rolling it out. Keeping the shortening cold ensures a nice flaky crust!

Don’t overwork or overhandle the dough. Your shortening/butter should be coated with flour mixture, not blended with it. Over-processing causes gluten to form, a substance that toughens the dough. It’s even a good idea to have cold hands before handling.

To ensure that your bottom crust is finished, bake pie in the lower third of the oven. You may have to cover the edges with foil or a crust protector to avoid overbrowning the edges.

Crunchy Pumpkin Pie

For the pie crust:

1 cup quick cooking oats

¼ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup ground almonds

2 tbs brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

3 tbs vegetable oil

1 tbs water

For the pie filling:

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

4 tsp vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup evaporated skim milk

Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix oats, flour, almonds, sugar, and salt together in small mixing bowl. Blend oil and water together in measuring cup with fork or small wire whisk until emulsified. Add oil mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. If needed, add small amount of water to hold mixture together. Press into a 9-inch pie man and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. Turn down oven to 350°F. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to blend ingredients. Add pumpkin and milk and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pie shells. Bake 45 minutes at 350°F or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Original Recipe Yield: 9

-- Courtesy PA Preferred

Streusel Apple Pie

Crust

2 cups sifted all-purpose flower

1 cup Crisco butter, cold

½ tsp salt

1 tsp white sugar

¼ to ½ cup whipping cream

1 tsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar together in mixing bowl. Add Crisco butter (must be cold) and cut into crumb size bits using a pastry fork or by using 2 (butter) knifes working in a criss-cross motion. Add vinegar to whipping cream, then add to flour mixture. Mix until you have a nice sticky clay substance. Roll out pastry for bottom crust and line a 9-inch pie plate.

Peel apples and thinly slice. In a large bowl, combine apple slices, the ¾ cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch; stir. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Mix in lemon juice. Brush inside of bottom crust with egg white to moisture-proof crust. Arrange apple slices in pie shell in flat, snug layers. Create a higher mound of apple slices in center because apples cook down as they bake. Pour juices from bowl over apples; dot with butter.

Streusel Topping

1 cup flour

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ pound butter (1 stick)

½ cup walnuts

In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, brown sugar, and walnuts, mixing well. Finally add 100% butter and incorporate until you have a coarse meal mixture. It should resemble small peas. Pour this crumb mixture over the apple filling. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove foil and bake for another 45 to 50 minutes.

Whisk together flour and sugar. Cut in shortening and butter until pea size pieces form. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough ball forms. Roll out on floured surface to fit 9-inch deep dish pie plate.